Worried About Keystone Pipeline

by paradox

Via Talking Points Memo, one of my favorites [cough], David Axelrod, recently implored the Democratic base to forget about the 2016 national race and focus instead on the 2014 Congressional midterms, that’s where the realists mentally hang out. Go talk to Hillary’s SuperPAC then, David, that Smaug’s hoard of cash they’ve already got is being withheld for 2014.

[shrugs] I’m not focused on 2016, the issue is decided irrevocably, should Hillary choose so the Party nomination is hers. Since her PAC now exists, the game is on. Wondrously powerful political forces are smashing the Republicans apart, so Hillary has an estimated 80% chance of being President in 2017. Good to know.

No particular excitement or anticipation heralds the 2014 midterms, the Executive leadership of the Party essentially embraces the status quo, so unsurprisingly status quo results are what we will get. Political freak show central will rage unabated in the House with the Republicans retaining control, while perhaps the Democrats will hold on to the Senate.

Just to put it out there, a transformative midterm that retakes Congress would mean the Executive relentlessly campaigning for a Keynesian economics package precisely upon the contingency of elected Democrats, vote for us and X gets delivered. Everywhere, all the time, anything to get real jobs and real wages back to the little people.

But, of course, only a real liberal with true FDR values could credibly pull that off, and as The Atlantic recently pointed out, liberal leadership ain’t what we got in the Democratic Party, no, not hardly.

Anyway, if pressed to state the primary immediate political concern for the Obama Administration and Democratic Party I’d easily state the imminent Keystone Pipeline decision, so much can go catastrophically wrong for the Party if it’s approved.

There seems to be very little comprehension in DC that Keystone is not at all about energy dependence, jobs, placating vociferous environmentalists or groveling to big oil money, it’s about moving forward with our future or deliberately throwing it away.

We as a species cannot burn fossil fuels anymore. Yes they’ll run out one day, but we’re irrevocably poisoning our atmosphere—just as we can easily poison our water—to the point where life can’t make it, we and the ecosystem can’t evolve quickly enough for the coming weather changes. Life as we credibly know it could easily be gone by 2080, just three generations from now.

There comes a time when excuses or denial or willful ignorance simply don’t work anymore, yes, our moment of climate clarity is here. Now. Walk away again with Keystone approval and the Party irrevocably loses its commitment and sustainment from our youth, unsurprisingly they’ll abandon us if we abandon them.

What about our committed environmental community? Millions of committed intelligent citizens are supposed to get spiritually crushed? I think the Party was sort of counting on them for the midterms, Mr. Axelrod.

Al Gore, winner of the 2000 election by 335,000 votes and ardent climate defender ever since, has made his Keystone opposition quite clear. Are we supposed to disrespect him, too? What about the relationship and stewardship commitment to our Earth that all Democratic Party members have, are we to be disdained once again for the welfare of a paltry few obscenely rich oil executives?

Approve Keystone pipeline and the Democratic coalition for 2016 could fly apart, never mind the nothing participation rate it would produce for 2014. Could Hillary keep her 80% chance with our youth and environmentalists too betrayed to participate in 2016? No way, knock it down to 60%, perhaps 55%.

Just to put it out there, again, I see no issues save one to the species for the long-term abandonment of fossil fuels. We can easily keep our automobiles, shipping, production and housing with sustainable solar, wind and hydro, no nuclear fission required, but the military will never give up kerosene for flight, so how that will be resolved I don’t know.

Anyway, 2016 is basically settled and 2014 a reeking continuation of feeble Chicago economic centrism, but real worry exists for the Party and our future if the Keystone Pipeline is approved. Please do the Party, country and Hillary a huge favor, Mr. Axelrod, stop telling citizens what to do and get on the phone to the White House. Let them know what a catastrophe Keystone approval would be, 2014 and even 2016 could be totally gone if they’re insane enough to approve it.